Potato Salad
by Child of Loki
Summary: Missing Scene for 1x07 'Watch Over Me'. LaSalle seems particularly fixated by his missing lunch. And when Brody figures out why, she can't help but tease him.


**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**NCIS: New Orleans **_**or its characters…**

**Author's Note: Rewatching some episodes, and couldn't resist the whole 'potato salad' thing in episode 1x07 **_**Watch Over Me**_**. Also, I think it's my favorite so far, because while Pride is off protecting the widow, we get lots of Brody/LaSalle time. **

**Missing Scene for 1x07 'Watch Over Me'**

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"Which one do ya think it is?"

"What?" Brody tore her eyes away from the beautiful city that still fascinated her despite now being one of its permanent residents, to give her partner a bewildered look.

"Which one?"

"LaSalle, I don't know what you're talking about."

Honestly, she really liked working with the two NOLA agents. Their unconventionality suited her, and got the job done. Unfortunately, it also meant that they could be a little strange. Not that that was a bad thing. Merri Brody herself tended to be the 'odd' one... at least in buttoned-up offices like the Great Lakes or serving as agent afloat and surrounded by military precision and discipline. But Pride and LaSalle, they were the furthest thing from 'regulation', although they at least seemed to have adapted to her insistence on some measure of organization in the office. Yet they still tended to go off on tangents she didn't understand. Or maybe that was just a _man thing_?

"My potato salad," he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, like there was nothing more vital than the whereabouts of his lunch. "One of 'em took it. I wanna know which, so we can have a li'l conversation about respectin' another man's home."

"Home?" Brody felt a smile twitch her lips. She couldn't help it. This was obviously a serious matter to her fellow agent, but it was rather silly, wasn't it? "I thought Pride was the one living in the office. Or are you roomies now?"

"I may not sleep there, Brody, but it's still my space." He glanced at her. "Yours 'n' Pride's, too. I just don't like people lackin' manners. It's disrespectful."

"I think Lieutenants Achenbach and White have been very courteous."

LaSalle gave her a murderous look. She smiled and shrugged.

"Damn 'intelligence specialists', come in and take over, steal my potato salad..."

He continued to grumble, and Brody couldn't help but wonder why exactly the presence of the military men had 'stuck in his craw' so much. It wasn't as if they were really in their way, using some of the back offices. And they were definitely friendly, and kind of good looking. She did like a man in uniform... Not to mention, Achenbach was a great conversationalist. She must've spent half an hour over lunch discussing the genius of John Irving with him, and... oh. Oh, my...

"You're jealous," she said, grinning broadly at her partner, who was scowling in a very uncharacteristic fashion as he pretended to focus on his driving. Merri outright laughed. "Oh my god, you are. This isn't about potato salad at all, is it?"

"Yes. It. is."

He didn't look at her, just pursed his lips and kept his mouth shut. But were the tips of his ears turning red? God forgive her, she couldn't resist teasing the poor man.

"Afraid your partner isn't going to want to spend time with you when she's got other options for lunch mates?"

"No," he said. "They took my potato salad."

"You're sticking to that story?" She should lay off, but how could she? It was just too good. Plus, she as a rule didn't like it when men got territorial, especially over her. She belonged only to herself.

"I'm not that complex, Brody," he said, giving her a piercing stare. "They took my potato salad. Marissa at the deli down the street makes it special for me. She puts in extra onions and just a hint of dijon mustard. It's my favorite. And _someone_ took it without askin' me. So yes, I'm angry."

"If you say so..." Brody decided they might want to wrap up the um... _discussion_ since LaSalle had just pulled up to their prime suspect, Shang Lee's residence, and turned off the engine. Somehow he was out of the truck and around to her side to open the door for her before she'd even unbuckled her seatbelt. She had to give him credit, he at least wasn't hypocritical when he said manners were important.

"I do say so."

"Look on the bright side. Whoever took it probably saved you from some killer bad breath."

This finally earned her a chuckle and shake of his head. And Meredith Brody did have to admit, she liked having LaSalle as a partner, and would probably be a little territorial, too, if she felt like someone was going to steal him away from being her friend.

END

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**A/N: I have no idea what rank (or even branch of the military) the 'intelligence specialists' were supposed to be, so I just made it up.**


End file.
